MONITORING HANGING GLACIER DYNAMICS FROM SAR IMAGES USING CORNER REFLECTORS AND FIELD MEASUREMENTS IN THE MONT-BLANC MASSIF

Abstract. This paper focuses on the monitoring of a small hanging glacier with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images using combination artificial Corner Reflectors (CRs) and dGNSS field measurements. First, to test performance CRs in high-resolution X-band medium-resolution C-band acquired by PAZ Sentinel-1 satellites respectively, series tests was performed two installed Chamonix valley. After confirmation good visibility valley datasets from both satellites, four were summer 2021 steep (≈ 52° average slope) North face Aiguille du Midi (3842 ma.s.l., Mont-Blanc massif). successful installation glacier, all visible sets (PAZ Sentinel-1). Using as reference, displacements estimated SAR complex cross-correlation, validated ground measurements (dGNSS) theoretical relationships between ice thickness surface velocity. We observed velocities ≈ 0.05 m/day at front 0.04 displacement estimates. The study shows potential limitations tool for glaciers topographies.